Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

At K18, we're about hair freedom for all–engineered with biotech. We are on a mission to liberate expression. To make the impossible possible with the right technology. To build a community of forward thinkers, risk takers, and rabble rousers. To bring fearless innovation forward and push boundaries past where we thought they could go.

The CMO will play a pivotal role in amplifying K18's mission of leveraging science and technology to disrupt the hair care industry. This leader will marry classical brand marketing principles with the cutting-edge tools of today, driving growth through innovative 360-degree brand strategies. You will create and nurture a global community centered around the K18 brand with stylists as our north stars, using data, analytics, and emerging technologies like AI to ensure every touchpoint reflects the simplicity, immersiveness, effectiveness, and sustainability that define our ethos.

This role requires someone who can excel in both the traditional aspects of brand marketing and the modern landscape of digital innovation, social commerce, and community building on a global scale.

The core pillars of the role are:

• Deep insights into our most relevant customer groups, their lifestyle triggers and journey
• Understanding the "Why' of our brand and our business
• Simplifying and decoupling the narrative
• Immersive content marketing and customer experiences across digital and offline touch points.
• Delighted community of customers and advocates
• Rapid scaling and growth momentum
• Giving back to community, transparency and pursuing sustainability
  
  

You are

• A leader who can lead by doing; you can't resist the urge to practice your craft by rolling up your sleeves and working alongside your team to unlock creativity that delivers against the strategy
• A storyteller at heart who deeply understands both the art and the science of the craft.
• Obsessive about customer centricity and believes advocacy (nano stylists and communities) being the core pillars to grow our community and brands
• A strategic marketer who creates data driven marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, customer acquisition, and retention.
• A conceptual thinker who believes in creating and successfully executing breakthrough campaigns that deliver stellar outcomes
• An inspiring communicator that represents marketing while building trust and influencing alignment of our vision across marketing, PR, product and packaging design
• You always feel the urgency of the moment (think of time in dog years) and translate that urgency into thoughtful action and delivers impact via excellence.
• A passionate believer in our mission and impact in the community.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Brand Strategy & Positioning Lead the development and execution of K18's global brand strategy, ensuring that our minimalist, science-driven mission is consistently reflected across all marketing initiatives. Build brand equity by maintaining a balance between innovation and simplicity.
• 360-Degree Brand Execution Oversee the entire brand experience, from product launches to digital campaigns, salon and retail activation, influencer collaborations, and nano communities' driven engagement. Ensure all marketing efforts reflect K18's commitment to science, simplicity, and performance.
• Social Commerce & Nano-Community Building Create innovative social commerce strategies that resonate with a global audience. Build, grow, and engage a community of brand advocates and nano-influencers who share and amplify K18's message of simplicity, effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Data & Analytics Use data-driven insights to optimize and measure campaigns, enhance customer experiences, and make informed marketing decisions. Implement a framework for continuous improvement using advanced analytics, measuring performance, customer engagement, and ROI.
• AI & Technology Integration Leverage AI and machine learning technologies to personalize customer interactions, refine content marketing strategies, and drive scalable brand engagement. Innovate with technology to further enhance the customer experience and marketing effectiveness.
• Content Marketing Develop and execute a content strategy that tells the K18 story—our science, our impact, and our mission. Create meaningful, authentic, and educational content that resonates with our community and positions K18 as a leader in innovation and sustainability.
• Digital Performance Marketing Lead performance marketing strategies that prioritize ROI while driving growth. Optimize across channels including paid social, SEO/SEM, email marketing, and e-commerce to efficiently scale the brand. Apply contextual AI tools to reframe search. Transform Amazon from a harvesting approach into a demand engine
• Global Expansion Lead K18's global marketing strategy, tailoring campaigns to diverse markets while maintaining the brand's core values of innovation and simplicity. Ensure our messaging is adaptable and relevant across different cultures and regions and the brand becomes a part of the culture in the strategic global markets.
• Product Marketing You will build a deep understanding of the market, the competitive landscape, consumer needs, and how K18's offering, and experience can best deliver on those needs in a compelling and differentiated way
• Team Leadership Build and lead a high-performing, cross-functional marketing team that is agile, data-driven, and creative. Foster a culture that encourages collaboration, experimentation, and a commitment to K18's mission and values of nurturing orchestras and propagating symphony via its community
• Expert in downstream marketing Develop and implement comprehensive trade marketing strategies for consumer and professional channels across North America and international markets.
  
  

Qualifications

• 15 years of progressive marketing leadership experience in the beauty, tech, or consumer goods industry, with a track record of building disruptive brands.
• Exceptional presentation skills and ability to articulate brand direction and downstream execution in a succinct and engaging manner.
• Deep understanding of classical brand marketing principles, paired with experience in modern digital marketing strategies.
• Strong knowledge of social commerce trends, nano-influencer strategies, and community building on a global scale.
• Expertise in digital marketing, including SEO/SEM, performance marketing, email marketing, and e-commerce growth strategies.
• Experience in applying AI and advanced data analytics to create personalized customer experiences and optimize marketing efforts.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable insights and strategies.
• Proven leadership skills, with experience leading cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
• Global marketing experience, with an understanding of the nuances of different regions, cultures, and demographics.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
• Proven ability and experience scaling community centric brands
• Passion for bold and disruptive thinking, innovation, and simplifying beauty routines without sacrificing performance.
• Experience working in a global or multi-national company is preferred
  
  

EEO Statement

K18 is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For more information, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.

If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation in order to apply for a job listing, please contact us at recruiting@k18hair.com.

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